You Become What You Believe

We all feel passionate about something. It may be a small spark or it may be a raging inferno, but the honest truth of the matter is that everyone has an inner motivation or desire to make an impact during their short time on this planet. This is often directly related to our calling.

But many of us either choose to ignore it or feel unable to do anything with it.

Have you ever wondered why you are not walking in your calling? What's stopping you? Let's brainstorm together for a minute...

This weekend I had the privilege of sitting around a table with a group of women to discuss our thoughts & mindset. These invisible things often have so much control over us! Often we don't step out of our comfort zone because we think we are not capable; we think we are not qualified or equipped; we think our voice doesn't matter; we think we have messed up too many times; we think we are too young or too old; we think __________.

Maybe you've heard it said before:

Our thoughts become actions;

our actions become habits;

our habits shape our destiny.

In other words, you become what you believe. If you have a negative thought-life, you will struggle to be successful in your physical life. Philippians 4:4-9 gives some insight here:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

It's not easy to change our mindset. This takes time and practice. It requires us to be intentional, to be proactive. It can truly be hard work.

But after a while, we begin to have a new way of thinking (Romans 12:2), which will affect how we act. As we begin to study God's Word and learn about who He is and who He says we are, we will begin to see that we don't have to be perfect! Instead, we have a perfect God who uses imperfect people to inact His perfect & pleasing will. Can you believe that?

#faith #passion #calling

When You're Not Sure Where to Turn

In the Old Testament, Moses was the one chosen to lead God's people to freedom from slavery. You'd think that if this was God's will, it would be smooth sailing! But Moses came up against every opposition...including from the very people he was trying to rescue.

In Exodus 14, the Israelites were finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The king of Egypt had relented and they were on their way to freedom--or so they thought. Suddenly the king realized that with the Israelites gone, the entire nation's lifestyle would have to change. This caused him to go back on his end of the bargain and begin chasing after God's people, which in turn caused the Israelites to begin to panic.

Just as Moses was beginning to get the hang of his leadership role, his people mutinied! They began to cry out and complain. With the Egyptians on one side and a huge, seemingly impassable body of water on the other, they lamented that it would have been better to die in Egypt than to die in the desert. How quickly they had forgotten all that the Lord had done for them to get them here...but then again...what was the point if they were just going to die anyway?

I admit I have had those thoughts before. It's easy to look over our past and see how God had worked things out. But as soon as we get in a situation that seems impossibly hard, we wonder, "What's the point of it all? Why did God bring me here when there's no way out!"

Maybe you are in a situation right now where you feel like you have no where to turn. Sometimes life comes at us from all sides and it just feels hopeless. But I can guarantee you that God is working behind the scenes! Moses's response to the Israelites was simple:

• Don't be afraid.

• Stand firm.

• Watch what God is going to do.

Exodus 14:14 says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Pause here for a moment and drink that in...you need only to be still. Be still...don't panic...trust...

But remember, trust is not a feeling. It's an action. Read on: "Then the Lord said to Moses," in verse 15, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on."

Be still. Then move on.

Sometimes when there is no where to turn, it's not because there isn't a direction...it's because we are frozen in fear. I want to encourage you to be still long enough to trust that God is on your side. Then I want you to trust enough to move on.

What happened to the Israelites? Moses, through the power of God, split that impassable body of water right down the middle and the Lord's people crossed over to safety on dry land. And those Egyptians? They followed them, yes, but...God closed the sea around them and just as He had promised, the Israelites never saw those Egyptians again. Exodus 14:31 says, "And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared (had awe & reverance for) the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant."*

When there is no where to turn, don't look to the right or to the left. Look up!

*parentheses added by me for clarification

#trust #faith

When You Feel Like Giving Up...

Have you ever felt like giving up? I know I have.

It's easy to say you trust in God, but what do you do when the feeling isn't there?

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."

Trust is an action, not a feeling. To trust means that despite your current circumstances, you will look at God and say, "What's the next step?" Then you take it.

As I'm typing this I am facing two situations in which I need to practice what I'm preaching.

1. I am passionate about helping people find their calling & then empowering them to step out of their comfort zones and just do it! So, I decided to put together a website so I could inspire others...and then I froze up for three months and did nothing with it. Putting yourself out there isn't easy, as we all know! But here I am, trusting in God--trusting that He will turn my passion into something useful, something effective...one step at a time.

2. Sitting next to me is my application for ministerial credentials. This is something I have been excitedly working towards for the last 5 years! But now that I have received the documents to take the next step, I'm frozen in fear. What if they reject me? What if I'm just not good enough? What if this scared little me is all the me I'll ever be? But, what if I get accepted? What if I'm able to move into the calling I'm so sure I've been created to do? What if I put my sense of identity in Christ instead of a title?

I can't give up before I get started. The word that I picked to define my 2016 is BOLD. I can't cower in fear and insecurity and be BOLD at the same time. So instead of giving up I choose to trust, to seek His will. I choose to walk the path that He shows me...one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

What are some areas that you are passionate about? Let me know in the comments how I can be praying for you today!

#trust #passion #calling #faith